We are certainly living in different times—times that are difficult to predict and even harder to plan for. Challenges originating far outside our professional world are quickly impacting our day-to-day operations and, ultimately, your business. Throughout 2026, suppliers across the industry have faced significant disruption, and those challenges have inevitably flowed downstream to our valued wine and spirits customers. While none of us welcome this level of uncertainty, it is also not entirely unexpected given the global environment we’re operating in. Recently, the Wine Industry Network published a timely and insightful article that underscores the importance of preparation. The message is clear: we must plan ahead, secure what we can, and remain ready for continued volatility. Duties, tariffs, currency fluctuations, transportation challenges, and unexpected fees are all contributing to rising costs—and the reality is, no one can predict what will come next. What

The third week of August served as a wake-up call to Mother Nature’s awesome power. A siege of more than 12,000 lightning strikes ripped through the state, touching off wildfires particularly in Northern California. The numbers are frightening. CAL FIRE is currently tracking three wildfire groupings covering close to 700,000 acres. The CZU Lightning Complex around the Santa Cruz Mountains is 56% contained as of this writing and caused the evacuation of the UC Santa Cruz campus. The SCU Lightning Complex, the second largest fire in California history, encompasses twenty fires east of Silicon Valley. It is currently 82% contained. The LNU Lightning Complex, already the third largest fire in California history, covers over 375,000 acres, threatens the city of Vacaville. The fires there are 87% contained. Despite the drama played out by Mother Nature, her lightning accounts for only 6% of wildfires. Human nature triggers by far most of the state’s wildfires. In a

Expand Your Wine Brand with Rack & Riddle’s Canning & Bottling Solutions Full-Service Canning & Bottling Options At Rack & Riddle, we’re here to help bring your wine brands to life with our canning and bottling options for both sparkling and still wines. Whether you’re scaling up or just starting out, we’ve got you covered! With 3.5 million cases of capacity across 4 state-of-the-art facilities, we’re ready to grow with you. Our facilities are SMETA, CCOF, and GMP certified, ensuring exceptional quality from start to finish. Speaking of finishes, we offer a variety of popular formats and finishes, including: 750ML, 375ML, 187ML, and limited 1.5L Cork finish, screw cap, and crown cap (on select sizes) 200ML and 255ML cans Plus, our automated production lines and advanced on-site lab services ensure your wines are crafted with precision and care. Let’s talk about how we can support your brand’s growth. Call us today for more inf

URGENT: PG&E Announces Immediate Power Shut Off Events in Napa & 30+ Northern California Counties The PG&E PSPS Outage Center is forecasting outage events affecting customers in nearly 30 counties across Northern California between Thursday (10/17) and Saturday (10/20). One of the heaviest impacted places is Napa Valley and the surrounding areas.  What can you do?  - Review the announcement and map  - Make sure PG&E has your correct, current contact information  - Sign up for PG&E notifications  - Prepare your backup power supply We have towable generators ready to help ensure your business doesn't have to be impacted by these outages. If you are concerned about losing power, contact us to arrange for a generator rental. Call 866-468-7697 or email us at customersupport@gotpower.com -- we are here to help! 

Power outages are always a disruptive inconvenience in our lives, but that won’t stop them from happening every now and then. This is especially true since fires are becoming more common in California. The stormy winter of 2022 / 2023 has also taught us that risks exist year round. If you want to avoid these unexpected downtimes, you need an electrical supply you can count on, even during PG&E’s public safety power shutoff events. This is important not only for households, but also for businesses and commercial properties. Generators are an investment that can save you money in the long run by preventing downtime. They’re a great backup for when sudden power outages occur. There are two main types of generators: stationary and portable / towable. In this article, we’ll focus on stationary generators and how long you should expect it to take to select, order, and install one at your site.  [read the full article here]

In an age where reliable power is essential for businesses and critical infrastructure, generator maintenance is the unsung hero that keeps the lights on when the grid fails. However, keeping your generator in top shape is not as simple as it might seem. Many generator owners make critical generator maintenance mistakes that can lead to costly breakdowns and downtime. In this blog, we’ll explore the importance of preventative generator maintenance and discuss some common mistakes to avoid in generator upkeep.  The Importance of Preventative Maintenance Before diving into the common generator maintenance mistakes, let’s emphasize why preventative maintenance is crucial. Your generator is an investment in your power security, and neglecting its care can lead to disastrous consequences. Routine maintenance ensures that your generator is always ready to kick into action when needed, providing peace of mind and reliability. 7 Generator Maintenance Mistakes to Avoid Neglect

In the fast-paced world of business and industry, ensuring continuous power supply is a top priority. When grid power fails, whether due to natural disasters, maintenance, or unexpected outages, a reliable backup generator can make all the difference. In Northern California, where wildfires and other challenges can disrupt power sources, generator rental is a crucial solution for maintaining operations. In this blog post, we’ll explore five essential considerations for generator rental in 2023 to keep your business running smoothly and efficiently.  1. Planning Ahead: Reserving Your Generator The first step in ensuring uninterrupted power during emergencies is to plan ahead. Generator rental availability can become scarce during peak seasons or when large-scale events occur. To avoid being left in the dark, reserve your generator well in advance. By doing so, you’ll secure access to the generator capacity your business needs when it matters most. When reserving your

What is a Brownout? According to Wikipedia, A brownout is an intentional or unintentional drop in voltage in an electrical power supply system. Intentional brownouts are used for load reduction in an emergency.  The reduction lasts for minutes or hours, as opposed to short-term voltage sag (or dip). The term brownout comes from the dimming experienced by lighting when the voltage sags. A voltage reduction may be an effect of disruption of an electrical grid, or may occasionally be imposed in an effort to reduce load and prevent a power outage known as a blackout.  Different types of electrical apparatus will react in different ways to a sag. Some devices will be severely affected, while others may not be affected at all. In most cases, brownouts are deliberately produced by energy providers as an emergency measure to prevent the system from failing completely (blacking out). Typically a utility will decrease system voltage by 10-25%, usually for a short period of t

Extended power outages may impact the whole community and the economy. A power outage is when the electrical power goes out unexpectedly. A power outage may: 1. Disrupt communications, water, and transportation. 2. Close retail businesses, grocery stores, gas stations, ATMs, banks, and other services. 3. Cause food spoilage and water contamination. 4. Prevent use of medical devices. Note that your site doesn’t even need to be in a high wildfire risk area. If the transmission line that services your property runs through a high risk area, PG&E’s plan may require them to shut off your power along with many other customers. Make sure PG&E has your proper contact information so you get notified about a planned outage. Visit this link to confirm. If you have a stationary generator, make sure it is sufficient. Even if it doesn’t have many hours on it, it could be too old to be worth repairing or maintaining. Update or prepare a written plan for when an outage occur

CD&P GM Lisa Carter attended a Town Hall about Public Safety Power Shut-Offs hosted by Congressman Jerry McNerney last week. The outlook is grim with the hot, dry weather - wildfires are a certainty this year.  Pacific Gas & Electric filed its state-mandated 2021 wildfire safety plan in February. The extensive plan proposes to clear vegetation, inspect power lines, install sensors and cameras, and otherwise invest in efforts to prevent a recurrence of the deadly wildfires that pushed the Northern California utility into bankruptcy. But perhaps the most controversial part of PG&E’s plan is to dramatically expand the scope of planned grid outages, which are intended to preempt the risk of its grid sparking more deadly wildfires this summer, and the disruptions and dangers those blackouts could cause. Please visit our PGE Planned Power Outages resource page to see what you can expect and how to prepare, stay safe and prepare your business now in order to mini